GABF picks?

[_CJ]

Anyone care to share some favorite breweries to check out? Or maybe some of you Thursday night guys can relay some of your top picks to help the rest of us put together a list of places to hit early on?

Alaska Brewing Co. has been a favorite of mine for several years. More recently I discovered Pizza Port and now I look for them every year. I'll also be looking for New Belgium to bring something special like they have in recent years.

[CSUbandit]

I'll definitely be hitting up pizza port, I would like to check out the alaska brewing as well.

You should also check out dogfish head, three floyds, new glarus.

[ColoradoXJ13]

Russian River, Golden City Brewing, along with several of those previously mentiond

DogFish Head (mostly cuz I can't justify the price of their beers)
New Glarus (because you can't get them outside of WI)
Pizza Port (had some of their beers at the Strong Ale fest, wow)
Allagash Brewing (again, price)
Green Flash Brewing (their West Coast IPA is fantastic)


Oh, and I would reccommend trying the Sam Adams Imperial Pilsner if they have it, I think it is an amazing beer, but get a taster before investing in a $10 4-pack


I am a little worried about burning out my taste buds and losing the taste of later beers. Other than trying to be vertical about my tasting, which I think would mean me spending the whole evening running around like a madman...any way to deal with this? Bring some pickled ginger to clear the palatte? (that was a joke)

[jnschwie]

Leinenkugels is my favorite brewery from Wisconsin.
Lakefront is a close second, but I'm unsure if they'll be there.

Compared to O'dell or Boulder, they're nothing to write home about, and you can get Leinie's here, but I still really like it. :)

Plus, last time I was at GABF, I wandered up to them in my brewer's hat and Leinie's shirt and they instantly loved me. :D

[Alpine Spirit]

Dont care I just want to try different types of Beer I would not normally buy.

[Ooompa Loompa]

Definately gonna hit up Dogfish Head as soon as I get there. I found their booth later on in the evening last year and they were all out of 120 min IPA, and I've never tried that before. I did get to try some SA Utopia last year. Other then that my plans are just to wander around and taste. I like to start out with the darker beers, but after an hour or so I'm pretty much drinking anything.

[BalloonKnot]

First stop will be SA for Utopia. Split a bottle of that few years back with a buddy. I think it was $120 for a 750ml. Second stop will be DFH. Not sure what they will have but I hope its aged 120 Min or World Wide Stout. I drink the 120 alot and been waiting for new release fo WWS. Couple years ago they had 3 year aged Raison De Xtra and WWS. Then I heard that Russian River, Port Brewing, Weyerbacher and Alaskan breweries are good.. Also plan to try out some of the Gold winners from last year in Wood - and Barrel aged beers and Aged beers in general and IPA's. You can see list on web site. Going Thurs. Buddy I'm going with says he will be over at the Miller stand all night so I'll proabbly be the guy kicking another guy in the nuts over at the Miller stand periodically throughout the night.

[_CJ]

Okay, about to head out the door. Tickets in hand. Have my list together. Wearing a blue Sam Adams Longshot T-shirt and orange shoes. Stop me and say hello if you see me.

[1BGDOG]

I was impressed last night (thursday) by Blue Moon's Chardonnay Ale, Elysian Fields Imperial Pumpkin. Laurelwood Brewery. Alaskan Brewery. Scored Saturday night tixs as well. So I will go to 3 sessins for the price of one. Connections, love 'em.

[_CJ]

So we made a list of 36 breweries to visit and broke them down by region so we wouldn't be running all over the place. Got there about 6:30 and barely made it through the list, but also added a few others. This was the first time I've gone with a list, and I found it really made for a better evening. Far less swill, and I didn't get "overserved".

Best in show: New Glarus (B4), We all took several trips through the line to try everything they had and they were all amazing. I had the Belgian Red, Rasberry Tart, and something that was aged in an oak barrel.
Honorable mention:
Deschutes (G31) Had several beers not available here but I still found the Hop Trip to be the best.
New Mexico Brewer's Guild booth (C3) -Second Street's Octoberfest was very good and the Three Rivers Pell Ell was also good.
Port Brewing (M10) -Couldn't read what they were, but I enjoyed the one on the far right best.
Alaskan Brewing (P17) -Top quality as usual.
Montana Brewing (N13) -Just a random pick that was very good
Allagash (F3) -Worth the trip into the NE region.
Sam Adama Longshot -The Weiss beer got my vote.
Bridgeport -They had an IPA with hops in the boil, primary, and secondary that was very good.

Worst in Show: Dogfish Head. Between everyone in our group, we tried six of their offerings and found all of them to be nearly undrinkable to downright offensive.

Beers they were out of: 21st Amendment Watermellon, New Belgium's La Folie (But they had something else from Eric that was very good), SA Utopia.

[Ooompa Loompa]

Worst in Show: Dogfish Head. Between everyone in our group, we tried six of their offerings and found all of them to be nearly undrinkable to downright offensive.
.

:eek: :eek: Wow, that's all I can say. The 90 and 120 min IPAs are spectacular IMO. Oh well, more beer for the rest of us I guess :shrug:

[jnschwie]

Dogfishhead is OK, but totally overrated IMO.
I've only been into IPAs for a year or two. (Thank you Yota).

Goal for tonight:
1) Boulder Mojo
2) New Belgium La Folie
3) ODell IPA
4) ODell 5 Barrell
5) Boulder Hazed and Infused
6) Leinie's Northwoods
7) Leinie's Red

I bet they don't bring #2, though.

[Ooompa Loompa]

Dogfishhead is OK, but totally overrated IMO.
I've only been into IPAs for a year or two. (Thank you Yota).

Goal for tonight:
1) Boulder Mojo
2) New Belgium La Folie
3) ODell IPA
4) ODell 5 Barrell
5) Boulder Hazed and Infused
6) Leinie's Northwoods
7) Leinie's Red

I bet they don't bring #2, though.

If you get the chance stop by the Waterstreet Brewery stand. They're based out of Milwaukee, and I'd put their Raspbeery Weiss up against Leine's Berry Weiss anyday. It's freakin spectacular.

[jnschwie]

I've had waterstreet. They ain't bad, but I don't really do berry weisses. :)

:beer:

The alaskan was as good as you all said.
Leinie's didn't bring northwoods.


And ODell's IPA won gold! Sweet!!!!

[xjmatt]

Russian River: Beatification. If you missed it then you missed out. That and the Watermelon funk at 21st Amendment :D .